The High Court has dismissed an application by former National Petroleum Authority (NPA) CEO Mustapha Hamid seeking permission to travel abroad while standing trial in a case involving allegations of extortion in the petroleum sector.
The application by Hamid, the first accused in the case of The Republic v Mustapha Hamid & 7 Others, was opposed by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
In its ruling on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Court held that an accused person on bail whose movement is restricted must demonstrate compelling reasons for the restriction to be temporarily lifted.
The Court found that the grounds presented by Hamid did not justify granting the request and consequently dismissed the application.
Hamid, a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and former Minister for Information, is standing trial alongside seven others over allegations of extorting money from players in the petroleum sector.
The accused persons had previously applied to have the charge sheet struck out, but the Court dismissed the application, allowing the pre-trial process to continue.
The proceedings have also seen disagreements over scheduling, including an earlier adjournment request by Hamid’s lead counsel, Joseph Kpemka, which the Court rejected.
The trial is expected to proceed with the case management conference.
Following the latest ruling, Hamid’s movement restrictions remain in place, subject to any further orders by the Court.
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